Unhinged
by stringsofmuse
Summary: Arthur hopes the new candidate for architect gets the job. That is, until he realizes she might be a distraction. Reviews would be lovely!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfiction, so bear with me! I love constructive criticism, though, so feel free to review. If I get positive responses, I will probably continue this story! Thanks for reading! I don't own Inception or any of its characters.**

Arthur leaned against the counter, his hands in the pockets of his carefully ironed pants. He stole a glance at the young woman who Cobb had just injected. He was trying to recruit her as the new architect, and secretly, Arthur hoped she met the standards.

"Here we go," Cobb muttered as he injected himself and fell into a slight slumber.

Now Arthur could gaze at the woman without any fear of being caught. She wasn't very tall, she had hair that cascaded past her shoulders in waves of silky brown, and her face was serene with the weight of sleep. Something about her entranced Arthur. It wasn't just that she was… well, beautiful was the only word that would do her justice, but the fact that even when she was asleep, she seemed to wear an air of self-confidence that Arthur found refreshing. He shook his head and broke the trance, trying to remove all of those ideas out of his head. She might become his new co-worker, and it wouldn't be right to start out having feelings like that.

He returned to the stacks of paper before him, but the words were meaningless blobs of ink; he couldn't concentrate enough to make out what any of the papers said. He peeked over at the two sleeping bodies, noticing the steady rise and fall of the woman's chest. _On second thought, I don't think I want her to join the team because I'll never get any work done with her around,_ he thought to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. Distraction wasn't something Arthur dealt with very well.

Suddenly, he heard a sharp intake of breath and his head snapped towards the woman, who had just emerged from the dream. Her breathing was ragged, and she grasped onto the plastic arms of her chair as if they were her hold on reality. Within a mere second, Arthur was on his feet and kneeling beside the woman. Her eyes connected with his for a moment, and Arthur felt the entire world crumble around him. He felt as if he were under her radar; as if all his imperfections were lain out before this angel, and she had accepted them, against all odds.

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me. You're okay, you're okay," he murmured, lightly pressing his hands against her to calm her as she tossed frantically. She had the aroma of lavender, and Arthur closed his eyes for a moment, drinking in the fragrance like a parched man.

Cobb gave him a look and a nod that said that the woman had passed the test. Arthur tried to smother a gleeful grin and turned his attention back to the distressed girl before him.

But even as he and Cobb tried to help her understand, she stormed off, and Arthur threw a folder towards all his paperwork, causing them to flutter through the air. The gorgeous woman might as well have been a projection of his own creation, teasing him with a solution to his lonely desperation, only to disappear without a backwards glance. Cobb ran his fingers through his hair and heaved a big sigh. He muttered something to Arthur about how she would come back, and then left him to his internal misery.

Arthur was looking over some data when he heard the soft patter of size 6 shoes on the tiled floor. He turned around and was shocked to see that Cobb had been right; she did come back.

Her name was Ariadne; an ironic connection to the thread-spinning Greek goddess. _A perfect fit,_ Arthur thought. After that notion passed through his mind, he cleared his throat and fiddled with his tie nervously. _You can't have thoughts like that,_ he told himself crossly, but with a tinge of regret. On the inside, Arthur laughed dryly at the idea that he had to extract any feelings he had for Ariadne. It was never a good idea to mix business with pleasure.

As Arthur watched Ariadne' animated features as she spoke to Cobb, he thought about how Eames, that pompous Brit he hated so much, constantly teased him about how his clothing matched his personality; austere, bland, and suffocating. Ariadne was wearing slim jeans, an orange jacket, and a lavender scarf was snaked around her neck, and Arthur knew that she had to be closer to the life of the party then he was. Whether it was unprofessional or not, she probably wouldn't even give him a chance.

He suddenly felt depressed, but before emotion could alter his work, he took his eyes away from Ariadne and tuned the world out as he looked over the paperwork he had so carelessly tossed aside earlier. This was what he was meant to do, not get side-tracked because some pretty girl had walked in. Arthur made a mental note that from now on he would show nothing to Ariadne but indifference, because no human was going to take him off the rigid track he lived on. It would be easiest if he didn't have any contact with her except when he had to explain strictly business related things.

"Arthur, I just have to say, I love your tie," Ariadne said shyly, pointing to the pinstriped tie he had around his neck.

"Really? I actually have this one in about seven different colors; it's great."

Seeing Ariadne laugh for the first time put crinkles around Arthur's mouth as he smiled in spite of himself.

He was suddenly aware of the un-Arthur-like expression on his face. He was all about the smirk, not about letting people break his smirks into goofy smiles.

"Well I better get back," she muttered, throwing her thumb over her shoulder to motion to Cobb.

"Sure," he replied, plugging his hands into his pockets sub-consciously.

He leaned against the counter, a grin still plastered to his face, and he was suddenly aware that she had been gone for over a minute, and he was still beaming like an idiot.

_What is happening to me?_

He glanced over to Ariadne and caught her looking back at him. Cobb was speaking to her, apparently oblivious to the fact that she wasn't listening. She blushed, but waved at him.

He smiled and wiggled his fingers in a playful wave. She laughed and Arthur turned his back to her. It was another moment before he looked down at his hand and realized what it had just been doing. He shook it a few times, muttering incoherently, placed his now-weary head into his hands, closed his eyes, and let out a heavy sigh.

This was going to be more difficult then he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the positive feedback, guys! It really means a lot to me. Again, I don't own anything from Inception.**

"Hey, can you come here a sec?"

Ariadne's voice broke through the cogs and gears of Arthur's churning mind, and he strode over to where she was holding a model maze. She had been working with him for over a month now, and his pre-determined plan to speak only business with her had died like a spark in the rain.

"What's up?" he muttered as nonchalantly as he could, making sure his poker face was set in place.

"You see this turn right here?" she asked, her eyes trailing Cobb as he passed.

"Um, yeah…?"

"Okay we're in the clear," she said as soon as Cobb had left the room. "I actually wanted to talk to you about an art exhibit that's going on tonight. I don't know if art's your thing, but I thought it'd be fun if we went together. I'm sure you've got a suit you could wear," she added with a smile.

Arthur paused, thinking about how art really _wasn't _his thing. It was too ambiguous; there were no solid answers, and he felt stupid when he didn't understand the underlying message. What was he supposed to learn from shades of blue and green paint?

"You know, I've got a lot of research to do…" he trailed off, avoiding eye contact with Ariadne.

"When don't you have work to do? You were that kid in high school who asked for extra homework, weren't you?"

"No," he retorted defensively. "I was the kid who did his homework as soon as possible so I could have a life."  
>"What kind of life?"<br>"A life where I made my own assignments up…" he muttered.

"Figures," Ariadne replied, shaking her head. "So can you please come?"

"I don't know…"  
>"Fine," she said, folding her arms and looking slightly hurt. "I guess I'll just ask Eames."<p>

Arthur's head shot towards her and he looked directly in her eyes. "No, I'll go."  
>"Thanks!" she answered, throwing her arms around his neck. "It means a lot to me."<p>

"Um, no problem," he murmured, awkwardly patting her back.

She stepped back, her hair a little astray. "I'll pick you up at 7:30 then."

"Oh no," he said. "I'm the man; I pick you up."  
>He winked, turned on his black, leather shoes, and headed to the other side of the room. Ariadne's cheeks reddened, but she turned around quickly so Arthur wouldn't be able to detect it. Arthur slung his suit jacket over his shoulder, picked up his suitcase, and made his way through the door. Ariadne stood biting her lip and twirling a piece of her hair. Realizing what she was doing, she unraveled the hair from her finger, shook her head to clear all thoughts of her evening plans, and made a note that she would not let Arthur make her feel like this. He was her business partner, and to have feelings for him would be unprofessional. He would probably be appalled if he found out.<p>

"What color outfit are you going to wear?" he called, his head poking through the doorway.

"A black dress," she responded, trying not to smile when she saw him nod approvingly. "Why?"

"I'm sure I can find a black suit somewhere in my closet," he replied, a corner of his mouth turning up in his signature smirk as he left.


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys are great :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter! As always, I own nothing except for the plot.**

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><p><em>Ding dong.<em> Arthur teetered from foot to foot as he heard the doorbell echo through Ariadne's apartment.

"Just a second!" she called, her voice muffled by the door that separated them. "Where is that stupid- ah-ha!"

The door was flung open, and Ariadne was bent over in the door frame, tugging one of her heels onto her foot. She stood up straight and greeted Arthur warmly. He was too busy taking in her appearance to reply or even acknowledge that she had said anything to him. Ariadne was wearing a black, satin dress that hugged her frame and ended above her knees. There was a slit that ran a few inches up her thigh, and her sleeves hung at the edge of her shoulders, in danger of slipping down her arms. Her hair was poised in uncharacteristic curls and a few strands were pinned back with a silver barrette.

"You look…" he began, grasping for a word that would suit perfectly, "stunning."

"Thank-you. You look dashing, as always."

He looked down at his onyx suit, complete with a solid silver tie, and felt like he'd blend into the wall when he walked in with an ethereal sprite like her.

"Ready to go?" she asked, grabbing a handbag from a hook by her door.

"Whenever you are," he replied, slipping his arm through hers.

They headed to Arthur's coal colored Mercedes Benz, and he opened the passenger door to let Ariadne slink inside onto the leather seat.

"I correctly pegged you for a tinted window guy," she joked, peering out the colored window.

"You think about my car?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep. I think a car tells a lot about a person, but I never see yours because you're in and out of the warehouse like a ghost all the time. I thought it'd be a Lamborghini, to be honest."

"Are you disappointed that it's not?"

"No, a Mercedes Benz fits you much better now that I think about it. It's mysterious, sleek, sexy…"

He whisked his head to look at her, and opened his mouth as if to say something.

"Eyes on the road, Arthur," she teased, her head set straight forward and her mouth curling into a knowing smile. Once he reluctantly turned his head, she looked back at him, knowing he could see her trace his features with her eyes, and enjoyed his obvious desire to look at her.

"You think I'm sexy?"

Ariadne felt his probing gaze as he waited for an answer, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. She sealed her lips and threw the imaginary key out the window.

"You _do_ think I'm sexy!" he exclaimed smugly.

Ariadne pointed to her lips, which were fastened tight, and then shrugged as if to say she couldn't help him. She smiled, watching Arthur's distress splay across his face. She knew that he needed a confirmation.

Arthur cursed mentally, wishing that Ariadne wouldn't toy with him, or worse, enjoy doing it. For a put-together guy, he had his moments of insecurity. Usually it didn't involve the realm of women, because he found that his charm reeled them in without him even casting a line. The suit and tie either attracted women looking for maturity and economic security, or it drew in women who wanted to see what made him tick under the layers of seriousness. To their dismay, Arthur usually didn't end up trusting them enough to let them see the non-business side of him that he sometimes forgot he had. But as for Ariadne, her glinting eyes and smiles that said more than words ever could made Arthur constantly unsure. He preferred the balance of safety, not the feeling of being on his toes all the time.

Arthur pulled into a parking space when they reached the building and then lent a hand to help Ariadne out of the car.

"Why, thank-you, sir," she said playfully.

She started to pull her hand away once she was standing, but Arthur tugged it back and laced his fingers with hers.

"Sorry," he began, "I guess my hand slipped."

Ariadne glanced first at their entwined hands and then at his face, faintly identifying the smirk he was trying to hide.

"It's alright," she replied simply, deciding to do away with the jokes and lightly squeeze his hand.

He looked at her curiously, but she dragged him towards the entrance without letting him say anything.

"Wait, Ariadne-"

"Don't," she said, stopping at the door. "For some of the art in this exhibit, you need to learn to appreciate its beauty and not think so hard about its meaning. You can start practicing now," she said, pointedly glancing at their hands.

She stepped onto the wood-paneled floors of the building, still tugging Arthur along behind her.

"I can do that," he replied quietly, almost positive that she hadn't heard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took me a while to update! I was having inspiration issues :) and I don't really like forcing myself to write if I know I could do better if I give myself a little time. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I know I enjoyed writing it!**

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><p>"I think I understand this one," Arthur said, pointing at the painting he was facing. It was vibrant with colors of all shades, and it depicted a joyous family having a day at the park.<p>

"Oh really?" Ariadne asked doubtfully, a playful tinge to her voice.

"Yes, I'm positive I do. I think the painter was-"

"Depressed when he painted it?" Ariadne said with a smile. Arthur had used that explanation more than once.

"It's like you can read my mind!" he said, a corner of his mouth rising in a smirk. He turned to examine the painting, a hand resting on his chin as if he were thinking deeply.

"See this dog here?" he said, pointing to a small, gray dog in the background of the painting.

"Oh, I didn't even notice him."

"I think that's the point. See how all the other people in the painting are bright and happy? Well that dog isn't, and he's barely visible in the background. I think the dog represents the artist. He feels left out and forgotten by his family."

It was very quiet for a moment, so Arthur turned to see what had caused the silence. What he found was Ariadne gazing at him as if in a daze; her eyes were widened and her mouth was just slightly open.

"What?" he asked nervously.

"That was amazing. I didn't think you had it in you to interpret art. I looked at this painting and didn't see any theme; just color and cheerful faces. But you looked past all that."

Arthur wasn't sure how to respond; Ariadne was still looking at him as if he'd sprouted wings. They locked eyes, brown meeting brown, and they didn't break contact until a drunk woman being escorted by her date brushed up against Arthur, purring, "Hello handsome."

"Hey, keep your hands off her," the man warned, but one glare from Arthur and he was dragging his girlfriend out the door, not daring to stay any longer.

Ariadne was suddenly very interested in her heels; Arthur also seemed fixated on his tie. Finally the both of them gained enough courage to look at each other again. Arthur, suave as ever, brushed the moment aside by smiling as if it hadn't happened and changing the subject.

"I sense that this exhibit isn't exactly what you had been expecting."

Ariadne sighed. "You're right. Most of this art is awful."

"Why didn't you say you wanted to leave?"

"I was having such a nice time with you…" she murmured, hanging her head so Arthur couldn't see the blush contaminating her face.

He gently put his hand under her chin and lifted her head so he could look her in the eyes. "Well there's something I find much more beautiful than any of this art, and I'd like to take her to dinner if she'd permit me."

Ariadne's embarrassment disappeared and was replaced with a look of pure bliss. "I'd love that."

"After you then," he said, bowing and gesturing towards the door with his hand.

Ariadne burst out laughing, and she covered her mouth quickly so as not to hurt Arthur's feelings.

"What?" he asked, standing up to his full height and feigning that he had been injured by her laughter. They proceeded into the crisp air with scattered stars as their only light.

"I'm sorry, it just came out. I was suddenly aware that Arthur, the man made of steel," she joked, using Eames' nickname for him, "was bowing!"

"Chivalry just isn't appreciated anymore. I'll have you know, that bow works on all the other ladies in my life," he said slyly, cocking an eyebrow.

"That's because your mother was born in a time when chivalry was more respected."

Ariadne laughed while Arthur just shook his head and smiled in spite of himself. Ariadne was opening the passenger door, when Arthur said, "I'm not sure whether this move works on women, _especially_ not my mother, but it's worth a shot, right?"

All of a sudden Ariadne felt Arthur's warm hand at her hip while his other hand reached out to brush a tendril of her hair behind her ear.

"I just want you to know that I'm not made out of steel," he murmured, his nose almost grazing Ariadne's nose. He took her hand and placed it on his chest. "Feel that? It's a heartbeat."

"Arthur, I didn't mean-"

"Shh." He placed a finger against her lip. "Don't ruin the moment with an apology I don't deserve. I know you didn't mean it."

He pressed his hand against Ariadne's and closed his eyes.

"Who am I kidding," he muttered with a chuckle, "nothing could ruin this moment."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Rating and reviewing make me much more eager to start working on new chapters :) All you lovely people that have reviewed have made my days much better, so I appreciate it very much! I'm still open to constructive criticism.  
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><p>"Chinese or Italian?" Arthur asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.<p>

"Well actually, I'm Caucasian…" Ariadne replied.

"Very funny. I'm in the mood for Italian myself. Is Scarlatto's okay? I love their eggplant parmesan."

"Sounds good to me." Her answer was muffled behind the hand she had resting against her mouth as she pointedly stared out her window. She wouldn't admit it to many people, but intimacy scared her more than anything, and it killed her confidence. Just a few hours ago she had been glowing with the promise of a wonderful evening with Arthur, which she hoped would be an important step towards their relationship. But as soon as he had taken that leap closer to what she had been wanting for weeks, she could feel herself recoiling.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Ariadne glanced over at his face, which was creased with lines of worry. She realized that Arthur was the last person on Earth who would treat a woman as anything less than a queen, so why was she so frightened by him having feelings for her?

"Because I'm afraid of getting my heart broken," she answered herself, her voice barely a whisper.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," she muttered, tucking a piece of fallen hair behind her ear. "I'm fine. Starving actually; are we almost there?"

"Yes ma'am," he said as he pointed to the restaurant which was just to the left.

As they got out of the car, Ariadne crossed her arms over her chest so Arthur wouldn't be tempted to take her hand. She had a feeling that even a gesture as simple as that might worry her ever further. Before when he had taken her hand, she didn't mind because she wasn't thinking about the meaning behind it. But now that his feelings for her (which she had doubted before) were very clear, she could feel herself distancing from him.

"Aren't you cold?"

"No," Ariadne lied, trying to refrain from shivering. Arthur wasn't stupid and Ariadne wasn't a good liar. The combination ended up with Arthur removing his suit jacket and placing it upon her bare shoulders. His fingers only brushed against her skin for a moment, but that alone created a storm of butterflies in the pit of her stomach as well as goose bumps that were most certainly not from the cold.

Once they went inside, the heat welcomed them immediately, and Ariadne started to take off Arthur's coat.

"Keep it for a while," he said with a smile. "It looks good on you."

They were seated in a cozy booth at the back of the restaurant, and Ariadne was relieved that she could use the obnoxiously large menu to cover her increasingly red face. She set it straight in front of her, and Arthur couldn't even see the top of her head. He grinned to himself, seeing right through what she was trying to do, but didn't say anything.

"Hi, my name is Rhett, and I'll be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with drinks?"

Ariadne flattened the menu on the table to acknowledge the waiter. He had curly brown hair, slight stubble, and was very tan. His bored expression quickly turned to one of interest.

"Hey, how about I get you a tropical _babe_-ana smoothie?"

"No thanks, I don't really like bananas," she answered obliviously. "Could I just have water?"

"And I'll have the same," Arthur said coldly.

Rhett baked away, muttering, "They'll be out soon."

When Ariadne finally looked up from her menu, she saw that Arthur looked irritated. "What?"

"Just that waiter…" he replied, cracking his knuckles.  
>"What about him?"<p>

"The nerve of him hitting on you when I'm sitting right here! For all he knows, we could be married! We're both dressed up and eating dinner. It doesn't take a genius to see that it's a date." Realizing what he had just said, he diverted his gaze back to his menu, hoping Ariadne wouldn't be upset at him for calling it a date. He still wasn't sure that she had the same feelings for him that he had for her, and he wasn't the type of guy to rock the boat when he was having a smooth ride.

"Arthur, don't worry about it. It happens."  
>"I'm sure it happens to you all the time. You just have that affect on people…" he trailed off, swiftly looking around to spot the exits in case he needed to make an emergency escape. At the rate he was letting his mouth do the talking instead of his mind, he might need one soon.<p>

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that _no_ _one_ ever hits on you? Women like men in suits."

He laughed and, with a wink, replied playfully, "No, they can't keep their hands off me. I'd venture that they like the idea of layers. Presents more of a challenge."  
>Before Ariadne could respond, Rhett was back with their waters and seemed undaunted by the obvious disdain for him written across Arthur's face.<p>

"Now what would you like, sweetheart?" he asked flirtatiously.

"Well, _honey_, I'd like the eggplant parmesan," Arthur said curtly, and Ariadne hid her giggle behind her menu. "And she'll have the spaghetti with marinara sauce."

Rhett shot daggers at Arthur with his eyes, but left the table to fill the order. When he came back with the food about twenty minutes later, interrupting Arthur and Ariadne's game of table football with a crumpled straw wrapping, he was silent.

"This looks scrumptious," Ariadne said with a smile.

"So do you," Rhett leered, but he was sprinting away before Arthur could do more than stand up.

"Oh, you have a little sauce…." Arthur observed as he sat down, pointing to the sauce that had fallen just a little past the corner of her lip. She used her tongue to try to find it, but was unable to. Arthur laughed, took his own napkin, and dabbed at the spot himself.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

They spent the rest of the dinner pleasantly, bantering about this and that. Rhett came back to get their money, and seemed to have gained his confidence back.

"You know, there's a nice little place in the kitchen where you and I could _get to know each other_, if you like."

"Alright, buddy, I've heard enough out of you," Arthur warned, standing up to glare down at Rhett, who was about a foot shorter.

"You her boyfriend?"

"No…" Arthur admitted.

"Then I can flirt with her all I want."  
>"Actually, you can't," Ariadne added, frowning. "I came here to eat a nice meal, not get hit on by some slime-ball creep who was obviously not smart enough to get any other job."<p>

"I'll have you know, I lasted in college for almost two years!" And with that he was gone.

Arthur's eyes, which were fixed on Ariadne, were filled with admiration. They made their way back to his car, got on the road again, and he still was wearing a crooked smile.

"Wow, a backboned-Ariadne is really attractive. I bet he's in the kitchen crying."

"Oh, was I too mean?" she fretted, craning her neck in vain to catch a glimpse of Rhett in the restaurant.

"You're adorable." It slipped out before Arthur could catch it in his throat, and he chastised himself mentally. Ariadne's mere presence zippered his brain's logical mouth and opened the blabbermouth that was his heart. He cursed himself again for having a thought as corny as that. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the days before he knew Ariadne, when nothing could break through his hard exterior. As he recollected those simpler days, he began to realize how gray and lonely they were.

He was walking Ariadne to her doorway, still lost in thought, and when he looked up at Ariadne, she appeared to be laughing, but he hadn't heard a word.

"Ariadne, can I be frank with you?" he interrupted, and she stopped cold in the middle of her sentence, fearful of the words that were about to fall through his lips.

"Of-of course," she stuttered. "You can always be honest with me."

"You make me into a man I didn't know existed, and I haven't had feelings like I do for you for anyone else. You walk into the room and my heart waits while my breath catches up with me. You're enthusiasm is contagious, your laughter lifts my spirits, and to be perfectly blunt, you're gorgeous. Inside and out."

Ariadne was frozen, unable to do more than blink.

"Could you excuse me for a second?"

Arthur looked puzzled, and she opened her door and closed it shut before he could answer.

She leaned her back against the door, her chest hammering and her breath ragged.

Arthur looked from side to side, wondering if there was something he had missed. His shoulders sagged; he put his hands in his pockets, and turned away. He kicked a stone as despair began to take hold of him; had he read the signs wrong.

"Arthur, wait!" he heard Ariadne shriek, and when he turned, he saw her running out of her house and towards him.

"What are-" His sentence was cut short as Ariadne threw her arms around his neck and gave him the brightest smile she could manage through her tears.

"Don't cry," he murmured, wiping a tear from her face.

"I always cry for beautiful things. Why were you leaving?"

"I thought the door in my face was rejection."  
>"Of course not! I just needed a moment."<p>

Even with a mascara-stained face and puffy eyes, she was the most beautiful creature Arthur had ever laid eyes on. He took her face in his hands, bent down slowly, and captured her lips with his.

Heat surged through both of them. One of Arthur's hands trailed to her curled hair while the other found the small of her back so he could pull her tighter. Her hands went to his neck to bring his face closer to hers. He pulled at her bottom lip with his own lips and then leaned his forehead against hers as he took a breath.

They both opened their eyes and searched each others' faces. Both were painted with bliss, so Arthur leaned down to steal one more kiss and held on to it, trying to etch the taste of her cherry lips in his mind forever.


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize for how long it took for me to update :( But I hope you enjoy! As always, I own nothing except the plot. And your reviews are like sprinkles on the boring cupcake that is my life. Haha ignore that lame metaphor :p  
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><p>"Ariadne, I could really use your help," Eames yelled over his shoulder with his pleading voice that Ariadne knew enough to see right through.<p>

She glanced up and saw him leaning against a counter facing Arthur, who had looked up with a face as confused as her own. With a curious tilt of her head, she walked over and tried to peer over his shoulders, but she was too short to be successful.

"What is it?" she asked impatiently, hands on her hips.

Eames turned around, a secret hidden between his smiling lips. "Go stand next to Arthur. I'm trying to figure something out."

She frowned, but stood a foot from Arthur, folding her arms against her chest. Arthur stood up and put his hands straight into his linen pockets. He had his cool, indifferent expression on; the one that always tortured Ariadne because it made him look callous when she knew he wasn't. Also, it made deciphering what he was thinking much more difficult. Ariadne on the other hand was an open book; her round, almost child-like face told the whole world what she was feeling.

"Oh," Eames said slyly, "what happened here?"

"Nothing," Arthur and Ariadne snapped simultaneously. They shyly stole glimpses of each other, only making it harder for Arthur to hold his indifference, and Ariadne's face became a new shade of red. They hadn't spoken since the night before. After this kiss, Arthur had left and when they came to work earlier, neither knew what to say to one another.

"What do you mean?" Ariadne asked, forcing patience into her voice.

"Don't play coy with me darling; it's written all over your face and in his more-rigid-than-usual body language that gets on my nerves all the time. I mean _loosen up_ mate," he said, and Arthur glared at him. Eames waved his hand as if brushing the interruption aside and added, "Anyway, I've only been here a day and I can feel the tension between you even when you're on opposite sides of the room. It's quite pathetic actually. I feel like I should leave the room."

"Don't be ridiculous," Arthur retorted. His hands twitched unconsciously.

"Right," Eames countered sarcastically. "Can you honestly look me in my gorgeous, sparkly eyes and tell me you don't want to kiss her right now? Wait, if you're looking in my eyes, you'll only want to kiss _me,_ and though I'd totally understand, I don't roll like that. So look in her less attractive, but still pretty of course," he said with a wink and smirk to Ariadne, "eyes and tell her that you don't want to kiss her."

Arthur wasn't normally one to play Eames' games, but he sighed and faced Ariadne, who gave him a questioning look but followed suit. When they just stood studying each others' faces, Eames coughed obnoxiously.

Without so much as a glance at Eames, Arthur grabbed Ariadne's face and pulled her into a kiss. It didn't take long for her to respond, and all thoughts were driven from their minds.

"There ya go; now you can focus on work again," Eames said brightly, as if they were pawns in his game of chess. "Now get a room."

Arthur reluctantly pulled away, but kept his gentle hands upon her face, unwilling to let go completely. He smiled his rare smile; the one when he wasn't afraid to let his teeth show; the one Ariadne knew he only used when everything around him had disappeared except her.

Ariadne grinned widely up at him, her brown eyes aglow. Arthur's hands trailed down her arms slowly until their hands were interlaced. Eames rolled his eyes.

"By the way, _darling_," Arthur mocked, "you had no part in making this relationship. That happened last night. You only made it easier for me to do what I've wanted to do all day, so yes, I will be able to focus on work again. Happy?"

Eames cocked an eyebrow and looked at them cunningly. "I missed the best part! What a shame."

"Yes you did," Ariadne said smugly, giving Arthur a small smile. "It's too bad you weren't there," she said sarcastically.

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he said matter-of-factly, "I have a hard time believing there would've been room for me, but if you think so, I'm game for next time."


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back! Sorry for taking forever. It's summer; you know how it is :) Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Ariadne was becoming somewhat of a problem.<p>

Cobb could see how the architect was unraveling the seams of Arthur, and he knew he had to do something about it before Arthur was nothing more than a ghost of the efficient point man he used to be.

Determined to snap Arthur out of it, Cobb brought him outside of the warehouse to have a little chat.

"What's going on?" Arthur inquired, glancing around; he didn't like surprises.

Cobb exhaled the breath he had been holding in. "We have to talk."

"About?"

"Ariadne."

"What about her?" Arthur was frowning, knowing this could lead nowhere good.

Cobb looked him straight in the eyes. "Look, Arthur, you've always been almost faultless at what you do, but lately you seem distant and distracted, and we can't have that. It's not hard to guess what's causing it." He looked at him knowingly.

"Let me get this straight; you're getting upset with me because Ariadne is distracting me from my work?"

Cobb nodded.

"Maybe she's thrown me off course a little-"

"A little? You never listen to a word I-"

"-but you're being so hypocritical!"

Cobb froze, mulling over the words Arthur had just spoken. "What?"

"Working or even thinking about Ariadne, I admit, diverts me slightly my work slightly. But what about Mal, huh? Do you mean to say that she doesn't interfere with your work at all? Your situation is much, much worse than mine! You let her through the cracks of all of our jobs and let her wreak havoc! So you have _no_ right to get angry at me."

Suspense hung in the air, and Cobb didn't know what to say. So instead, he just nodded as if to say that Arthur was right, and slipped inside without a word.

Arthur was shaking a little, his hands balled up into fists. He knew he shouldn't have let Cobb get to him, especially because he knew he was right; Ariadne was loosening the otherwise shipshape bolts in his work ethic. He did spend too much of the day watching her when she was absorbed in her work; that's when he thought she was the most beautiful, when her face was painted with passion for her true calling. He also spent a large portion of the day with thoughts about her cluttering his mind when he should be focusing on the details of his work. He couldn't help it.

Or maybe he could.

It had been a week since they had kissed, and other than the second kiss Eames had gotten them to share, nothing significant had occurred between them. He had been flouncing around the edges, unsure of the next step.

_I have to go out with her again_, he thought. _She's only distracting me so much because I need to be with her. _

Arthur grinned to himself as he strode down the sidewalk to the florist shop that was conveniently located on the corner of the end of the street. He bought a single red rose and carefully tucked it in a pocket on the inside of his suit jacket.

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><p>Ariadne was tired of waiting around for Arthur to ask her out again. They flirted and shot furtive glances at each other every day, but he showed no interest in making plans outside of the workplace. She had become so desperate to know whether he actually wanted a relationship or not that she had almost asked Eames for advice. <em>Almost.<em>

She tied her hair in a loose ponytail, a pencil between her lips, and looked over the maze she had just sketched. Unsatisfied, she began to erase and fix the parts that weren't to her liking. Ariadne was so absorbed in her work that she jumped when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist.

"Do you have a minute?" Arthur whispered in her ear, warming her neck with his breath and causing a shiver to run through her.

"Of course," she murmured dazedly as he took her hand and led her outside.

Once they were in the fresh air, Arthur pulled the rose from his pocket and got on a knee.

"Ariadne," he began, "this rose is an apology for not taking any steps in our relationship. I honestly was too scared to do anything because I still can't fathom that you could have feelings for me."

"Don't be silly," she chastised softly, taking the rose from his hand and pressing it against her nose. "You should actually be surprised that not more women are tripping over your coat tails in their pursuit of you."

He smiled and stood up. "Do you accept my apology?"

"Of course!"

"Will you bless me with another date?" he asked, slight worry lines creasing his forehead.

"Only if you promise me something," she murmured, twirling the rose between her fingers.

"I suppose," he said suspiciously.

"Promise me that this isn't just a date with two people who happen to like each other very much."

Arthur groaned. "You don't want to make this some kind of double date with Eames and whatever bimbo he can pick up, do you? Because that will _never_ happen."

She laughed loudly and replied, "No, I want this to be a date with my boyfriend." She smiled slyly.

"B-boyfriend?" he stuttered. "Who is- oh!"

Ariadne shook her head. "For someone so smart, sometimes…" she trailed off.

"You can go with your boyfriend if I can go with my girlfriend."

"It's settled then," she said, lacing her fingers through his.


	8. Author's Note

**Firstly, I want to thank everyone who took the time to read this, and especially those of you who reviewed! It's great to have this kind of response on my first fan fiction piece. On a sadder note, I'm going to end this story because I feel like it could go on forever without actually going anywhere. But Arthur went through his journey to get the girl, and that's what's important! I'll might write a sequel to this story, maybe with some action and another appearance from the much loved Rhett, because I really was planning on having him in the story again! Would you guys be interested in a sequel? Or maybe a whole new story? I love you all! Thanks so much for giving me such a great welcome as a beginner to his site!**


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